Hinge



United States Patent O 3,153,807 I-IlltiGE Odd G. Nyman, Siantvagen 4,Savedalen, Vastergotland, Sweden Filed Jan. 21, 1963, Ser. No. 252,838 2Claims. (Cl. 16-137) The present invention relates to hinges especiallyhinges intended for collapsible pallet racks of the type used when smallparcels or unpacketed articles are to be transported on loading pallets.

The costs for manufacturing packages and the transport or Shippingexpenses are of great importance in modern industry where the productionis highly rationalized in order to minimize production expenses. Inorder to reduce the costs for the packages, there are used loadingpallets on Which the articles are stacked by using one or more so calledpallet racks Which, contrary to cardboard boxes or containers, can beused for repeated shipments. When using such a more or less permanentpackage there is a disadvantage that it frequently must be returned inempty Condition and during such return shipments the containers cannotbe used for any useful purposes. Thus the costs for the return shipmentof the containers must be added to the transport costs together Withordinary expenses in order to make the transport economical. It isconsequently of great importance that the containers are so formed thatthe transport costs Will be as low as possible and also that thecontainers are rather durable so that the Wear costs Will be kept as lowias possible. It has been proved that loading pallets provided withracks are very useful for certain shipments put there are alsoconsiderable disadvantages associated With such racks, such as theirrather high Weight Which increases the transport costs. Moreover theracks have been subject to damage especially Where the hinges, whichconnect the walls to a collapsible unit, are secured to the Walls andconsequently the Wear costs for hitherto known pallet racks have beentoo high.

The present invention has as its object to remove the above mentioneddisadvantages in order to minimize the transport costs and this has beeneffected by a new hinge comprising two pivotally connected `U-shapedparts, the bottom portion of each part being mutually connected to oneside portion by at least one socket Which is adapted to receive thepivot pin or pintle of the hinge.

According to a convenient example, one of the side walls of eachU-shaped part may, at least at one end or the corresponding hingeportion, be rigidly connected to each other by a lateral end Wall.

The hinge according to the invention Will be described with reference tothe accompanying drawing.

According to the shown example the hinge comprises two substantia'llyVU-shaped portions denoted generally la, lb, the side Walls of which areadapted to receive respectively tWo side Walls indicated in dotted linesat 14 of a loading pallet rack. One side Wall 2 of each U- shapedportion is directly connected to corresponding bottom by a longitudinalfold While the other side Wall 3 is connected to the bottom 4 by meansof respectively one or tWo socket portions 5. These socket portions areadapted to receive a pivot pin or pintle 6 which constitutes the pivotalconnection between the portions Ia, lb.

As appears from the drawing, each of the side Walls 2,

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3 of the U-shaped portions is provided With three holes 7 Which areintended for rivets (not shown) Which serve to connect the side Walls 14to the hinge elements. When the side Walls 14 Which may be formed bylaminated Wood, are secured, they Will be clamped between the sideportions of the hinge elements whereby a very stable connection will beelfected. Like other hinges for the same purpose, the present hinge alsois provided With means for enabling a plurality of pallet racks to bestacked, Which means consist of a tongue 8 projecting downwardly fromeach hinge portion. According to the present example, this tongue isformed by two elongations 9, 10 of the side Walls 2, 3 With one of theseelongations 9 being integral With the side Wall 2 by a substantiallyS-shaped member of flange 11. The other elongation 10 is connected tothe other side Wall 3 by means of a member 12 extending atsubst-antially right angles to the hinge, thus highly strengthern'ng thestability of the hinge. The elongations 9, lil Which define the tongue 8are conveniently rigidly joined for instance by point Welding or thelike, and in order to increase their resistance to inadvertent bendingthey are provided With a slot-formed depression 13 extendinglongitudinally of the hinge.

The hinge according to the invention Will enable the hinge to be formedby a comparatively thin plate without reducing the Strength of thehinges of already known types. Thus, the new hinge Will be of lessWeight than common hinges and at the same time the connection betweenthe side Walls and the hinge elements will be considerably strengthened.Consequently, this invention must be regarded as a serious attempt tomiuimize the transport costs.

What is claimed is:

1. A hinge structure for pivotally connecting the side Walls ofcollapsible loading pallet racks, comprising two substantially U-shapedcomponents each of which is adapted to have a side Wall secured betweenthe legs thereof, a socket portion on each component between theconnecting Web and one leg, a pin positioned in said socket portons forpivotally connecting said U-shaped components, the leg of each componentadjacent said socket portion having a member extending perpendicularlyfrom one end of said leg toward the other leg and terminating in asecond member extending downwardly from said first member at rightangles thereto, and a member at the end of said other leg slightlyoffset from the plane of said other leg rigidly secured to said secondmember thus providing a downwardly projeoting tongue for enabling aplurality of pallet racks to be stacked.

2. The hinge structure as claimed in claim 1, in Which said secondmember and oflset member tare provided with complemental depressionsextending longitudinally thereof for preventing accidental bending ofsaid downwardly projecting tongue.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS282,635 Hey Aug. 7, 1883 1,640,525 Belliveau Aug. 30, 1927 2,240,729 VonPalmenberg May 6, 1941 2,268,669 Moore Ian. 6, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS468,974 Italy Feb. 8, 1952

1. A HINGE STRUCTURE FOR PIVOTALLY CONNECTING THE SIDE WALLS OFCOLLAPSIBLE LOADING PALLET RACKS, COMPRISING TWO SUBSTANTIALLY U-SHAPEDCOMPONENTS EACH OF WHICH IS ADAPTED TO HAVE A SIDE WALL SECURED BETWEENTHE LEGS THEREOF, A SOCKET PORTION ON EACH COMPONENT BETWEEN THECONNECTING WEB AND ONE LEG, A PIN POSITIONED IN SAID SOCKET PORTIONS FORPIVOTALLY CONNECTING SAID U-SHAPED COMPONENTS, THE LEG OF EACH COMPONENTADJACENT SAID SOCKET PORTION HAVING A MEMBER EXTENDING PERPENDICULARLYFROM ONE END OF SAID LEG TOWARD THE OTHER LEG AND TERMINATING IN ASECOND MEMBER EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM SAID FIRST MEMBER AT RIGHTANGLES THERETO, AND A MEMBER AT THE END OF SAID OTHER LEG SLIGHTLYOFFSET FROM THE PLANE OF SAID OTHER LEG RIGIDLY SECURED TO SAID SECONDMEMBER THUS PROVIDING A DOWNWARDLY PROJECTING TONGUE FOR ENABLING APLURALITY OF PALLET RACKS TO BE STACKED.